Liner hanger



Nov. 14, 1944. l c, K, MORGAN 2,362,766

LINER HANGER Filed Dec. 22, 1941 CDN Patented Nov. 14, 1944 LINER HANGER Charles K. Morgan, Los Angeles, Calif., asslgnor to Lane-Wells Company, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application December 22, 1941, Serial No. 423,946 8 Claims. (Cl. 16B-v1) My invention relates to liner hangers; that is, to devices for hanging or suspending perforated well liners or screens within the bottom portion of a well bore. Among the objects of my invention are:

First, to provide a liner hanger which is adapted to beused in those cases in which it is desired to iit a liner of maximum diameter in the well casing;

Second, to provide a liner hanger wherein iluid may be circulated between the liner hanger and surrounding casing either before or after the liner has been set;

Third, to provide a liner hanger and setting tool therefor which is adapted to insure setting of the liner hanger even though the liner should be frozen or stuck in the well bore in the course of Washing or cleaning the well bore prior to setting the liner and liner hanger; and

Fourth, to provide a liner hanger and setting tool which incorporates a novel arrangement for holding the wedging slips, and for urging the slips into engagement with a surrounding casing.

With the above and other objects in view, as may appear hereinafter, reference is directed to l the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of my liner hanger with the parts shown in the positions assumed when running into the well bore;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal half sectional view through 2-2 of Figure 1, with the parts shown in their initial position;

Figure 3 is a similar longitudinal sectional view with the parts shown in the positions assumed when the liner hanger is set or secured Within a well casing;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal seccone-shaped, as indicated by 2. The conical por..

tion 2 is adapted to receive a plurality of wedgeshaped slips 3 having on their exterior surfaces teeth or wickers for engagement with a surrounding casing. The slips are segmental in form, and centered with respect to each slip and extending axially upwardly therefrom are a series of dovetail channels 4 formed in the body I. The slips l are provided with dovetail lugs 5 at their upper inner ends, which t into the channels l so as to hold the slips against the body I.

The lower or larger end of each slip initially rests against a shoulder B formed at the lower end of the conical portion 2. A tongue extends from the lower or thicker end of each slip 3. Each tongue I is provided with an inturned end 8 and fits within a slot 9 cut in the body I. The extended ends of the tongues 1 are initially held against radial movement out of the slots 8 by retainers Il which bridge the slots,

The lower portion of the body I below the conical portion 2 is counterbored, as indicated by Il, and the slots 9 extend through the walls of the body I into the counterbore. The counterbore receives a driving ring I2 having holes I3 which accommodate the inturned end 8 of the tongues 1. The driving ring I2 is urged upwardly within the body I by a coil spring I4 fitting in the counterbore II. The lower end of the spring I4 bears against a shoulder formed by the upper inner end of an adaptor ilttlng I5 which is screw-threaded into the lower end of the body I. The adaptor tting is provided'with suitable pipe threads at its lower end for connection to a liner A.

The liner hanger is initially connected to a setting tool which is suspended from a tubing string B. The setting tool includes a mandrel I6 which lts within the body I and is connected thereto by supporting threads Il formed in the upper end of the body I and the mandrel I6. These threads are preferably left-hand threads so that they unscrew when the tubing is rotated in a direction tending to tighten the conventional couplings which join the sections comprising the tubing string.

The lower end of the mandrel I6 is provided with a traveler ring I8 which is connected with the mandrel by means of threads I9. The threads I9 are preferably right-hand threads; that is. opposite from the threads Il and, also, are preferably double pitched, or double lead threads. The traveler ring I8 is provided with longitudinally extending ribs 20 which ilt in longitudinally extending grooves 2| formed along the inner wall of the body I. The grooves 2 I are preferably equally spaced between the channels 4 and slots 9. The ribs 20 and grooves 2| coact to prevent rotation of the traveler ring when the mandrel I6 is rotated, and by reason of the double pitch right-hand threads I9, with each rotation of the mandrel the traveler ring is raised a distance of three threads. The ribs 20 initially partially project below the grooves 2| into the counterbore II to engage the upper end of the driving ring I2, and hold the driving ring against upward movement; that is, retain the driving ring in the position shown in Figure 2.

The lower end of the mandrel I is provided with a suitable retainer ring 22 to prevent the traveler ring IB from unscrewing, andthe mandrel I6 is attached to a wash pipe C which extends downwardly withln the liner A.

Operation of my liner hanger and setting tool is as follows: The liner hanger is run into the` well with the parts in the positionsshown in Figures l and 2; that is, the slips are in their retracted position and the traveler ring I8 is in its lower position, holding the spring Il compressed. The liner is lowered until it engages the bottom of the well, and while the liner is held by such engagement the tubing string is rotated in a direction to unscrew the mandrel I6 from the body I. After the mandrel is rotated a sufilcient number of turns to release the slips, but before it is moved sufilciently to completely disengage from the body I, the liner hanger is raised to the desired position in the well bore, preferably to a point in which the liner clears the bottom by a few feet, thereupon weight is applied to the liner to securely wedge the slips. When it is desired to free the setting tool from the liner it is merely necessary to continue rotation of the mandrel until the left-hand screw-thread connection I'I is separated.

It should be noted that in place of the traveler ring threads I9 the traveler ring may be merely journaled upon the mandrel, in which case it will raise only to the extent that the connection I l is unscrewed, that is, assuming a single pitch thread connection Il will advance upwardly one thread for each rotation and therefore require a greater amount of rotation to free the slips. If the traveler ring threads I9 are omitted it is, of course, obvious that the threaded connection II would be extendedaxlally to insure continued engagement between the body and mandrel after the slips have been released. With the present arrangement, utilizing the dual thread connections II and I9, the amount of rotation of the mandrel in order to free the slips is reduced; therefore, simplifying this initial operation.

TYarious changes and alternate arrangements ma1 be made within the scope of the appended claims, in which ls is my intention to claim all novelty inherent in the invention.

* claim:

i. 'i liner hanger comprising: a body member having wedging faces and slots in said body member extending downwardly from said wedging faces; slips adapted to move along said wedging faces for engagement with a surrounding casing, and tongues on said slips extending through said slots to the interior of said body member; a coil spring lining the interior of said body member and operatively engageable with said tongues to urge said slips along said wedging faces; and a setting tool removably attachable to said body member and including a member operatively engageable with said tongues to restrain said slips in a retracted position against the tendency of said spring,

2. A liner hanger comprising: a body member having wedging faces and slots in said'body member extending downwar lyv from said wedging faces; slips adapted to move along said wedging faces for engagement with a surrounding casing,

' and tongues on said slips extending through said slots to the interior of said body member; an instrumentality within said body member engageable with said tongues and tending to urge said slips along said Wedging faces for engagement with said casing; and a setting tool including a mandrel having a readily separable screwthreaded connection with said body member, a traveler screw-threaded on said mandrel, and key and slot means on said traveler and body member to restrain said traveler against rotation relative to said body member, said traveler engageable with said instrumentality to restrain said instrumentality and slips.

, 3. A liner hanger comprising: a body member having downwardly converging wedging faces, slots in said body member extending downwardly from the lower ends of said wedging faces and undercut grooves formed in said wedging faces and continuing upwardly in said body member above said wedging faces; slips movable along said wedging faces, tongues on said slips fltly received in said slots and projecting into said body member, and lugs on said slips interlocking in said grooves to hold said slips against said wedging faces; a coil spring lining the interior of said body member and operatively engageable with said tongues to urge said slips along said wedging faces; and a setting tool including a mandrel having a readily separable screwthreaded connection with said body member, a traveler screw-threaded on said mandrel, and key and slot means on said traveler and body member to restrain said traveler against rotation relative to said body member, said traveler engageable with said instrumentality to restrain said device and slips.

4. A liner hanger comprising; a body member having wedging faces and slots in said body member extending downwardly from said wedging faces; slips adapted to move along said wedging faces for engagement with a surrounding casing, and tongues on said slips extending through said slots to the interior of said body member; an instrumentality within said body member engageable with said tongues and tending to urge said slips along said wedging faces for engagement with said casing; and a setting tool, including means forming a separable connection with said body member and means for holding said slips in a retracted position.

5. A liner hanger comprising: a bodymember having downwardly converging faces, slots in said body member extending downwardly from the lower ends of said wedging faces and grooves formed in said wedging faces and continuing upwardly in said body member above said wedging faces; slips movable along said wedging faces, tongues on said slips fitly received in said slots and projecting into said body member, and lugs on said slips interlocking in said grooves to hold said slips against said wedging faces; and an instrumentality within said body member engageber, and lugs bn said slips interlocking in said grooves to hold said slips against said wedging faces;l an instrumentality within said body member engageable with said tongues and tending to urge said slips along said wedging faces for engagement with said casing; and a setting tool, including means forming a separable connection with said body member, and means for holding said slips in a retracted position.

7. A liner hanger comprising: a body member having downwardly converging wedging faces, slots in said body member extending downwardly from the lower ends of said wedging faces and undercut grooves formed in and continuing upwardly in said body member above said wedging faces; slips movable along said wedging faces, tongues on said slips tly received in said slots and projecting into said body member, and lugs on said slips interlocking in said grooves to hold said slips against said wedglng faces; and a coil spring lining the interior of said body member and operatively engageable with said tongues to urge said slips along said Wedging faces.

8. A liner hanger comprising: a body member having downwardly converging wedging faces, slots in said body member extending downwardly from the lower ends ofsaid wedging faces and undercut grooves formed in said wedging faces and continuing upwardly in said body member above said wedging faces; slips movable along said wedging faces, tongues on said slips fltly received in said slots and projecting into said body member, and lugs on said slips interlocking in said grooves to hold said slips against said Wedging faces; a coil spring lining the interior of said body member and operatively engageable with said tongues to urge said slips along said wedging faces; and a setting tool removably attachable to said body member and including a member operatively engageable with said tongues to restrain said slips in a retracted position against the tendency of said spring.

CHARLES K. MORGAN. 

